Arthur kitson



3 Sheets-8het 1.

(No Model.)

A. KITSON. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

No. 594,540. Patente d'Nov; so, 1897.

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' (No Model.) 3 sheets -sheet 2.

ALKITSON.

APPARATUS'FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

' No. 594,640. Patented Nov. 30, 1

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A. KITSON.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

No. 594,540. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

NITED STATES.

ATENT Fries.

ARTHUR KITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON L. CLARK.

APPARATUS FORMANVU FACTU RING eAs.

SPECIFICATION'fQrming part of Letters Patent No. 594,540, dated November 30, 1897. Application filed June 3, 1397. Serial No. 639,218- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subj ect of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a full and complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to gasify soft coal in a cupola-furnace and prevent caking formations and clinker by agitating the entire bed of fuel; also, to convert all the volatile matter which in other producers con denses in the pipes to form tar into a fixed gas.

In a patent granted to myself and Thomas Walker October 17, 1893, No.'507,073, I have shown means and mechanism for keeping a deep bed of fuel in a continuous state of agitation by revolving slowly, but constantly, a hearth, upon which the fuel rests, whose surface is considerably inclined from. the hori-' zontal. In the apparatus shown in that patent I used an up-blast and carried away the gas from the top of the producer. -This is very satisfactory with anthracite coal and even semibituminous coal; but with many of the softer qualities of coal there is a tendency for the upper mass to cake over, especially where thefuel-bed is very de'epsay six or seven feet-the rotating hearth agitating only the lower bed for a distance of three or four feet. To enable me to use any kind of coal, no matter how soft, and'any depth of fuelbed, I use, in addition'to the rotary hearth described in former applications, a fuelstirrer on top of the fuel, which I revolve means of a chain-and-sprocket connection, to the Worm-wheel, and hence to the pipe and stirrer-s. The pipe, therefore, revolves slowly first in one direction and then in the other, being reversed each time with the hearth mechanism by means of the beltshifter, which is attached to the hearth mechanism. The gas is drawn away by means of an exhauster through openingsin the brickwork located a little above the top side of the hearth. The producer is fed automatically through a series of pipes which are connected to a hopper, while a revolving disk having an opening corresponding to one of these pipes is caused to revolve and alternately opens ,and closes each of the feed pipes. These pipes are tapered, being larger at the bottom than at the top, in' order to prevent their choking with the coal. Whenever it is desirable the direction of blast may be changed for a short time and the air shut off from above and admitted below, while the gas-outlet below is closed and the upper one opened. This producer admits, therefore, of both an up and down blast. In this producer I insert brickwork from the bed-plate of ash-pit to the top of the furnace, and I taper this lining the entire length, making it considerably largerbelow than it is above. It will be seen, therefore, that the hearth has a different shape from those described in former applications and revolving between parallel Walls, since the present one revolves between inclined walls. This gives a somewhat greater agitation to the fuel than former designs, since the space between the plane running horizontally through the center of the hearth and the lower half of said fro as well as an up-anddown motion and increases the degree of agitation thereof.

The preferred form of my apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed section of the rotating hearth and surround ing walls. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed section of the fuel-charging device and upper end of the downdraft blast-pipe. Fig. 4 is a detailed plan view of the top of the producer with a section through the hopper on line a t of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail of the adjustable air-inlet portopenin s for the downdraft blast-pipe.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures refer to like parts.

1 represents the shell of the producer,which is preferably made of metal, and 2 is the firebrick walls or lining of the gas-producer, which, as shown, are made to incline inwardly from the base-plate 2 nearly to the top of the combustioirchamber, so that said combustion-chamber and the ash-pit are in the shape of one frustum of a cone divided into two spaces by the inclined hearth 3, which rotates on a vertical axis, the means of rotation being preferably afforded by the ball-bearings 21,011 which the supporting-cylinder 17 of the hearth rests.

4 is a fuel-hopper of any convenient shape, in the bottom of which is a rotating disk 5, rigidly mounted on a rotating steampipe t, which has a steam-tight gasket-joint conmeeting it with the stationary steam-pipe 7, which is controlled by the valve 7. This rotating steam-pipe 6 is mounted in a rotating carriage 8, supported on the ball-bearings 8 on top of the producer, which is driven by the worm-gearing 9, operated by the shaft 10, through the agency of the sprocket-wheel 11, over which runs the sprocket-chain 12, and driving sprocket-wheel 13 on the .main shaft 14 at the base of the producer. This shaft 14: operates a similar worm-gearing 15, which rotates the hearth 3 by means of the wormwheel 16, mounted on an extension 20 of the supporting-cylinder 17, which has its lower end stepped in the framework 31.

18 is a downdraft blast-pipe depending from the rotating carriage 8 and having a series of projections 19 on the lower end thereof, which are preferably made in curved shape, somewhat-like the moldboard of a plow, and which projections are embedded in the charge of fuel in the gas-producers.

22 is an updraft blast-pipe controlled by the valve 23 and connected by a suitable gasketjoint to the depending extension 20 of the supporting-cylinder 17.

24 represents a gas take-off controlled by the valve 25, which has connections or ports opening into the combnstion-chamber near the hearth, (shown at 20 26, &c.) These several ports 20 are connected with the take-off 2t by the surrounding passage-way 27.

28 1s a second gas take-off opening into the upper portion of the combustion-chamber and controlled by the valve 29.

30 represents the adjustable plate, which opens 0r closes the air-inlet ports in the upper end of the downdraft blast-pipe 18.

32 represents the I-beams, on which the base-plate 2 rests, and is a brick foundation of any proper construction.

The rotating disk 5 has one or more openings 34, which as said disk rotates register at intervals with the upper end of each of the flaring fuel-conduits 35, of which fuelcondnits I have shown four, though more or less might be employed. These conduits are preferably inclined outwardly as shown, so as to discharge the fuel against the walls of the combustion-chamber and evenly distribute it around the central downdraft blastpipe.

The rotary inclined hearth is preferably constructed as in my pending application, Serial No. 635,948, filed May 10, 1897, having the plates 36 adjustably mounted on the frame of the hearth by means of the bolts 37, passing through the elongated bolt-holes 38. The levers 3!) force these plates outwardly, so as to produce a rubbing contact between them and the surrounding walls of the combustion-chamber and ash-pit, said levers being held down by their own weight and by the action of the springs 40.

A cap 41 protects the opening through the center of the hearth, through which the upblast may be forced when required, and a series of openings 4-2 in the plates of the hearth proper permit the ash to grind out at the desired rate.

43 43 are openings in the supporting-cylinder 17, allowing a certain portion of the upward blast to pass through and up through holes 42.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The main shaft 14: is given a regular rotation, which is preferably reversed in direction at regular intervals. This rotates the inclined hearth 3, and by means of the chain-andsprocket connections and the worm-gearing 9 simultaneously rotates the combined blastpipe and stirrer 18 either in the same direction as the hearth 3 or in the opposite direction, according to the manner in which the connections are made. \Vhen the apparatus is in normal operation with soft coal, the valve 23 is closed and the valve 2.). The air-inlet ports 30 are opened to the proper degree, and also the valve 25. Steam admitted through the valve 7, and air and steam are forced down through the blast-pipe 18 into the body of the fuel. The gases formed by the passage of the air and steam through the incandescent fuel pass out through the take-off ports 26, passage-way 27, and take-off pipe 2h-t0 the consumption system or to the gasometer. (Not shown.) The constant rotation of the inclined hearth causes constant agitation of the body of the fuel, which is further increased.

by the rotation of the projections 19 on the blast-pipe and stirrer 18. The zone of fiercest combustion is approximately opposite or just above the line of the take-off ports 26, and by the time the fuel has passed below that line it will have beenturned into ash, which will form a protecting non-conducting body over the hearth 3. As the combined blast-pipe and stirrer 18 rotates the section of steam-pipe 6 rotates with it and carries the disk around. The opening 34 registers at intervals with the upper ends of the conduits 35 and permits a given quantity of fuel to pass down through first one and then the other of these conduits, discharging the same into the combustionchamber around the walls thereof. IV hen the upblast is to be used for any reason, the valve is closed and the ports and the valves 23 29 are opened. The air then passes up through the hearth, and the gas passes out through the upper take-off 28.

In the normal operation of the apparatus the fuel-line is above the lower end of the blast-pipe 18 and the heat of combustion vaporizes the volatile-constituents of the fuel, and the same are forced down throughthe bed of highly-incandescent fuel in the lower zones, being formed into fixed gases in such passage.

Of course various changes could be made in the details of mechanism of my apparatus so long as the relative arrangement and operation of parts are preserved.

- Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-- j 1. In a gas-producer the combination of the combustion-chamber, with take-01f ports near the bottom thereof, one ofmore fuel-charging ports in the upper portion thereof, and a rotary, combined blast-pipe and stirrer which extends downward below the normal fuel-line, substantially as described.

2. In a gaseproducer the combination of the combustion-chamber, with take-off ports near the bottom thereof, one or more fuel-charging ports in the upper portion thereof, and a rotary combined blast-pipe and stirrer which extends downward below the normal fueLline, the lower end thereof being provided with curved extensions projecting into the charge of fuel, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-producer the combination of the combustion-chamber, with take-off ports near the bottom thereof, one or more fuel-charging ports in the upper portion thereof, and a rotary, combined blast-pipe and stirrer which extends downward below the normal fuel-line,

together with a hearth inclined to the horizontal plane, but rotating on a vertical axis, and mechanism for causing simultaneous rotation of the hearth and stirrer, substantially as described.

6. In a gas-producer the combination of the combustion-chamber, with take-off ports near the bottom thereof, one or more fuel-chargin g ports in the upper portion thereof, and a rotary, combined blast-pipe and stirrer, which extends downward below the normal fuel-line, together with a rotating hearth and mechanism for causing simultaneous rotation ofthe hearth and stirrer, a blast-pipe connection to the ash-pit beneath said hearth and a takeoflf port above the normal fuel-line, with means for controlling all said take-offs and blastpipes, substantially as described.

7. In a f uel-gas producer the combination with the inwardly-inclined walls of the combustion-chamber andash-pit, of the hearth located between said inclined walls, said hearth being inclined to the horizontal plane, but rotating on a vertical axis, substantially as described.

8. In a fuel-gas producer the combination with the inwardly-inclined walls of the combustion-chamber and ash-pit, of the hearth located between said inclined walls, and provided with rubbing-surfaces in contact therewith, saidhearth being inclined to the horizontal plane, but rotating on a vertical axis, and means for adjustment of one or both of the rubbing-surfaces thus opposed to one another, radially to the hearth, substantially as described.

9. In a fuel-charging device the combination of the hopper, the combustion-chamber below, one or more flaring conduits leading from said hopper to said combustion-chamber, and the rotating disk which has one or more openings which register at intervals with the upper ends of said conduit or conduits, substantially as described.

10. In a fuel-charging device, the combination of the hopper, the combustion-chamber below, one or more flaring conduits leading from said hopper to said combustion-chamber, andthe rotating disk which has one or more openings which register at intervals with the upper ends of said conduit or conduits,

IIO

the combustion-chitinber with take-off ports near the bottom thereof, one or more fueleharging ports in the upper portion thereof, and a rotary, combined blast-pipe and stirrer which extends downward below the normal fuel-line, together with the fuel-hopper, one or more flaring conduits leading from the hopper to the fuel-charging ports and the rotating perforated disk rotatingwith said stirrer to alternately open and close the conduits, 10 substantially as described. I

In testimony whereot I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR KITSON. \v'ituesses:

GEO. OAT SUDDARDS, ARCIIIBALD R. DEWEY. 

